What’s the difference between a ship and a boat?

[stillp]

That's another thing - ferry boats. I don't think I've heard them called ships, even the big cross-channel ones.
Pete

 

[Peter Gillson]

All a matter of size - I recall a harbour pilot explining it to me by saying that you can ship a boat in a ship but you cannot boat a ship in a boat. Perhaps he had been at sea too long!

Peter

 

[adt70hk]

I think the only definition w3 can agree on is that a Boat starts with the letter B, and a ship starts with the letter S.....
By the way, does all this mean that Boaty McBoatface should have been called Shippy McShipface?

Actually no! The research ship (note ship) was given the name the Sir David Attenborough. Boaty is the name of the submersible it carries - a boat on two counts.

I will now apologise for trying to introduce a modicum of sanity into what had become a very funny thread!

Bilbo - thanks for asking the question. Who knew it could get so complicated, not to mention funny!

ATB.

Andrew

 

[boatman]

WELL in my opinion the shell welder is big enough to be called a ship ok
chris

 

[Ian M]

Looking to make sure I post in the right section. I’d assume that the Shell Welder is a ship but not sure...

In conclusion:
Post away and If I think its in the wrong place I'll move it.

Some interesting theories in this thread as to what is what. Regarding the forum sections as it is and will continue to be Big floaty things are a ship. ie warships, cargoships and the like.
Small floaty things such as MTB's, launches, patrol boat, rowboat, are boats. Things that are designed to go under the water are a submarine.
Diorama of boats/ships live in the diorama section.

 

[Jakko]

Anything that can't go further than inshore water is a boat.

That definition would make this a ship:



And this a boat:

 

[Archetype]

Good point, however I would class those as purpose built exceptions and examples of when the definitions are intentionally skewed in pursuit of either an extreme acievement or a localised logistical problem.

 

[stillp]

Good point, however I would class those as purpose built exceptions and examples of when the definitions are intentionally skewed in pursuit of either an extreme acievement or a localised logistical problem wrong.

Fixed it for you!

 

[Jakko]

Good point, however I would class those as purpose built exceptions and examples of when the definitions are intentionally skewed in pursuit of either an extreme acievement or a localised logistical problem.

Agreed about the rowboat, but the container ship is just a specialised example of a very common type of vessel on European waterways that you can see anywhere between the mouths of the Rhine and the Danube and beyond.

My point, really, is what I said before: I don’t think there’s a meaningful difference other than the distinction any given source tries to make between “boat” and “ship”. As far as I can tell, they’re just two words that evolved in parallel and for some reason, now have to have distinct meanings in some circles.

 

[Mini Me]

Does Tonnage enter into this anywhere.........or have I missed something? The Carrier I was on had seven decks above the flight deck and seven decks below the flight deck.....some of those below the waterline.
Try that in a boat.

 

[BigGreg]

...WELL I'm on a BOAT....

SORRY i could not resist...

 

[Tim Marlow]

Well, the Oxford English Dictionary defines a ship as a large boat LOL.....

 

[Archetype]

...they’re just two words...

Without spoiling the fun by being too obvious; that's the point. Two words that can be applied to the same thing that have a very nuanced specificity that nobody understands.

 

[Jakko]

Oh, I agree about that — but what I mean is that there doesn’t seem to be a universal definition that will satisfy everyone, so it’s subjective and therefore frequently impossible to answer which of the words definitively describes a particular vessel.

 

[Graeme C.]

One definition that I have heard is the it's a ship if it has a crew, a boat if it doesn't.
Unless you're Captain Rum......

 

[Tim Marlow]

There you go then.....

https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/82971023.pdf

A definition from maritime law. I suggest you read this if you suffer from insomnia.....I tried twice and just drifted off.....not sure what it tells us LOL.....

 

[JR]

I give up .
TAXI

 

[Ian M]

I have found several sources, Britannica, a couple of maritime college's and a couple of other sites that seem to agree that a boat becomes a ship when it is greater in length than 180 foot in length (an average of the differing lengths quoted),... So it would appear that the modern concept of a boat or a ship is purely based on its length. Sods law it does not apple to yachts, they can be any size that they like but they too are often divided up into sub groups. Smaller craft often referred to as cabin cruisers or cabin boats.... right up to the Royal Yachts which are considerable sized ships but are still a yacht.

 

[JR]

Now it's even more confusing Ian.
Going to stick to floaty thing, this way I don't upset anybody

 

[Jakko]

A definition from maritime law. I suggest you read this if you suffer from insomnia.....I tried twice and just drifted off.....not sure what it tells us LOL.....

Just skip to the last page:

Case-law relating to differently worded definitions has struggled and probably failed to come up with future-proof literal or other interpretations which can convince a layman as to the precise meaning of the terms ‘vessel’ and ‘ship.’ Undoubtedly new ‘contrivances’ will continue to be added to the list of items which are popularly called vessels or ships, and some legal definitions will be altered and new ones created; legislators, national and international, usually lag behind an industry focussed on innovation, thereby providing a playing field for litigation lawyers. If ever any proof were needed that, in the words of an eminent Roman jurist, every definition in law is dangerous, one need look no further than the travails of the legal profession and the judiciary in defining a ‘vessel’ and a ‘ship.’

Now it's even more confusing Ian.
Going to stick to floaty thing, this way I don't upset anybody

Look at the bottom page 488 of the document Tim linked to …

In Polpen Shipping v. Commercial Union, the issue related to whether a flying boat constituted a vessel